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Giyuu didn’t know how far out he was, but he didn’t care. He just kept running, past the endless stretch of trees and on the worn-down dirt ground. A dark blue splattered across the sky, fading into a deep lavender which signalled the end of the day and transition into the night. The bleeding of his heart swirled into a glass, filling and overflowing with sorrow.
He tried regaining his sense of rhythm, the way his feet constantly hit the ground, the cold wind whipping around his face, the harshness of his breathing, but nothing could overwhelm the aching feeling of sadness in his chest.
-
Briskly walking the halls of the Ubuyashiki Estate, Giyuu found himself silently searching for the designated room for the semi-annual Hashira meeting. His elderly crow, Kanzaburo, had mistakenly told him the wrong time, so he rushed to the estate as soon as possible.
It was a common occurrence, and no matter how many times Sabito pestered him to get a new one, Giyuu couldn’t find it in his heart to let his old crow go just yet.
Upon hearing the familiar voices of the other Hashira, He knew he reached the right place, but it also meant the meeting had started without him.
Giyuu reached his hand out to slide open the closed shoji doors – until he found himself frozen.
“…Giyuu is a coward. Frankly, I would have liked it better if he never joined the demon slayer corps at all.” said a deep, rich voice he recognised to be Sabito’s.
Sabito, his best friend he met at Urokodaki’s after his sister was slaughtered. Sabito, the boy who he survived Final Selection with. Sabito, the person who offered him the most comfort at his lowest times – was calling him a coward.
Sounds about right, Giyuu thinks. When Sabito had risen to Hashira after slaying a lower moon, Giyuu felt nothing but pride for his friend, knowing he would've earned the position eventually.
Giyuu was minuscule in comparison, opting to stick to Sabito like a shadow and letting him take all the glory within the Corps. Why Ubuyashiki gave him the title of ‘Water Pillar’ after Rengoku passed was beyond him.
Sabito was his best friend and number one ally, Giyuu could never ask for anyone else.
It didn’t stop the agonising sting of his heart once he heard his words though.
-
Despite the irony, Giyuu felt a sense of relief when he sensed the presence of something sinister within the forest, dripping, oozing with sickened and undeniable bloodlust.
A demon.
Finally, Giyuu thought. Something to occupy his thoughts and alleviate his mind.
Water breathing, First form: Water Surface Slash.
When Giyuu cut across the clearing, he was fully expecting his sword to cleanly slice through the neck of the unsuspecting demon,
but a sharp fan met his blade, keeping it still in position.
“My, My, who is this?” A thick, sly voice said, wielding the pair of extravagant fans which held Giyuu’s blade in place.
Once the dust settled, Giyuu could make out a pair of colourful, amused eyes stared back at him. Were they rainbow? It was that moment the Water Hashira read, the glaring prominent kanji in his opponents’ eyes.
Upper Moon Two.
Jumping backwards, drifting on the soil beneath his feet, Giyuu felt his heartbeat quicken. An Upper Moon? He swiftly switched his nichirin blade into an offensive position, cautiousness evident in his stance.
Giyuu has slain his fair share of Twelve Kizuki before, Lower Moon Five on Mount Natagumo being one example, but none of them had been an Upper Moon. Nobody has slain an Upper Moon in centuries, the last mention of them was when Rengoku-
Giyuu sucked in a breath, focusing on keeping his breathing even. No, this cannot deter him from battle. If nobody had rivalled this demon in strength before, he would stall for time. If anything, the appearance of an Upper Moon had only strengthened his resolve, it meant they were becoming too complacent if they were revealing their ranks to the Demon Slayer Corps again in the same year. …Maybe this way, he could avenge Rengoku’s death as well.
A shining gold, lotus design engraved across a pair of fans and a green tassel at the base was held in front of the demon’s face, it’s translucent, rainbow eyes turned into crescent moons.
“Oh? Are you a Hashira? And that breathing style… the Water Hashira perhaps?”
Giyuu showed no sign of confirmation as the Upper Moon identified him. Refusing to let his opponent gain the upper hand. He kept his usual, stoic, expressionless face, hoping it didn’t show the hidden panic in his mind right now.
“No answer? Naw, You’re no fun!” The demon threw his head back, showing clear amusement. About what, Giyuu didn’t know. “You’re clearly strong, stronger than the others I would say. If it were anyone else, they would’ve died immediately!”
While the demon was blabbering on about who knows what, a faint flicker caught Giyuu’s eye in the distant trees. A flap, a feather, Ah. It was Kanzoburo, Giyuu’s crow. He must’ve went to call for back-up. Good, Giyuu thought. If his crow were to squawk anything right now, it surely would have been killed on the spot.
“Hey, are you even listening? How rude! I was simply enjoying my meal when you crudely interrupted me-” The demon stopped speaking, and his eyes widened a fraction, like he had just realised something about him.
Water Breathing, Third form: Flowing Dance!
Giyuu didn’t wait to figure it out however as he swiftly darted across the clearing in quick succession, sword following suit in a flowing pattern, the demon evading his attacks just as quickly. “Wow! You’re fast! How exciting!”
After a prolonged period of time, Giyuu found something odd. It was that the fact the demon made no effort to reciprocate his attacks, only dodging and avoiding collision with him as much as possible.
When the demon jumped back, putting a good distance between Giyuu and himself, he saw the demon was slowly inspecting his frame.
His strangely coloured eyes raked every inch of Giyuu’s figure. An unexplainable shiver went through Giyuu, it made him uncomfortable honestly.
With his stoic expression, he stared back at the demon. Is he toying with me?
Either way, this was an advantage for him. If he could not behead Upper Moon Two, which in all honestly thinks he is unable to, he could at least stall for time until the sun rose.
If Rengoku was bested by Upper Moon Three, Giyuu surely didn’t stand a chance to defeat Upper Moon Two all by himself. Rengoku was far more powerful than Giyuu, in strength and prowess, so if he was defeated by the rank lower than the opponent Giyuu was facing, he knew the best course of action was to stall time for the sun to rise instead of properly defeating it.
“You know…” Upper Moon Two spoke after the uncomfortable silence, Giyuu found himself adjusting into his next stance, in preparation for a sudden attack-
“You’re kind of cute!”
…
What?
Giyuu found himself dumbfounded, staring back at the demon who just complimented him. Who just called him cute. Called him, cute. Cute?!
His confusion must’ve showed in his expression somehow, because the demon quickly went to clarify himself. “Hey, Hey, I mean look at you! You have the most beautiful pair of ocean blue eyes I have ever seen! Your pale, smooth skin and small, rounded lips, you’re low ponytail, albeit a bit messy but I don’t mind!”
Disgust gushed in his entire being the more Douma, as he introduced himself, pointed out his features. It did not feel good being attractive to a literal man-eating demon, but Giyuu could only listen as Douma gushed on and on about how they were the perfect candidates for each other.
Giyuu did notice how Sabito often said he has good-looking features, feminine in a way, like the way his soft features look daintily on his face. Who knew it was enough to distract one of the highest ranking demons of the Twelve Kizuki?
“I usually only pay attention to women, but…” A golden fan was concealing the sickening smile Giyuu knew the demon put on. “I feel I could make an exception for you.”
“I decline.” Giyuu quickly replied, he did not want to involve himself in the demon’s theatrics whatsoever.
“You speak! Perfect, I was beginning to suspect if you were mute,” The demon reached his arms out, as if inviting Giyuu to a warm hug. “When my followers worship me, I give them a chance at freedom, tranquillity if you will. Why don’t you come and be one with me, so we can live together forever!”
Disgusting Giyuu thought as he made no effort to show he was listening to this demon’s foolish fantasies. Although there was one of the strongest demons to have ever existed in front of him, a stagnant voice echoed from the back of his mind.
“Giyuu is a coward.”
He blinked, and Douma wasn’t there anymore.
Giyuu’s eyes widened when the Upper Moon’s own face was mere inches away from his own, a flurry of mesmerising myriads of colours in the demons’ eyes. “If that’s the case, I’ll just come to you!”
Giyuu narrowly dodged the blow aimed for his neck, blade hurriedly brought up to block the next oncoming attacks.
The demon’s moves were nothing like its aloof attitude from before, it’s techniques and movements becoming more and more aggressive in which Giyuu maintained to keep up with. He wasn’t as strong as Rengoku, but what he lacked in strength, he made up for it in speed.
Ninth Form: Splashing Water Flow,
With a powerful slash, he managed to slice one of the demon’s arms clean off, surprise lit up the demon’s expression, clearly not expecting him to have landed a blow on him.
By Giyuu’s unfortunate circumstances, it wasn’t enough as an unexpected barrage of ice shards shaped like lotus petals began raining down on him.
Eleventh Form: Lull, he muttered, making quick work of the ice shards that began pouring down from above, sliced into smaller ice chunks.
Unfortunately, this made time for the Upper Moon to recover as he bounced off one of the bamboo pines and shot himself with devastating momentum towards Giyuu, who barely reacted in time by propelling himself up in a swift motion.
Eighth Form: Waterfall Basin,
Preparing with all his strength, he used the momentum from his jump to deliver a powerful blow aimed at the demon’s head from above. “My, you really are frustrating, aren’t you?” Giyuu heard as dust from the impact cleared out. “It makes me want you even more!”
The demon had already regenerated the arm he cut off.
-
Sabito was seated at the Hashira meeting, the other pillars facing towards their master in an orderly manner.
“I think Tomioka heard you, Sabito.” Iguro spoke.
Sabito stiffened, staring at the shoji door that the Water Hashira was behind moments before. Standing. Listening. Hearing what Sabito said about him-
“Giyuu-“ he got up to give chase and clarify what he said- only to be stopped by a hand gripping his wrist.
“Where do you think you’re going? The Hashira meeting isn’t over yet, there’s still important matters to discuss.”
“Honestly, it’s Tomioka’s fault for coming late to meetings all the time,” Sanemi complained, clicking his tongue.
A need to defend Giyuu rose in Sabito’s chest. “It’s not fault his crow is old. It’s lost half the time and delivers messages late-“
“Now now, calm down now,” The Flower Pillar, Kanae, spoke up.
“Hearing him being strict about Giyuu’s safety was so cute!” Mitsuri, the Love Pillar, excitedly piped up. “Sabito just really cares for Tomioka-“
Sanemi cut her off, “Eugh you got that right, do you see how he stares at that man?”
A blush crept up Sabito’s neck at everyone’s murmurs of agreement. He was just about to justify himself before-
“You can clarify things with Tomioka after the meeting.” Gyomei spoke, hands clasped together. Everyone went silent. “Oyataka-sama, please pardon our interruption.”
“It’s alright, my dear children. It is worrying Giyuu had to hear that out of context,” Oyataka-sama’s eyebrows furrowed with worry, “If he does not wish to join the meeting, It is alright.” Sanemi huffed at that, “but I hope you can clear things up with him after, Sabito.”
Sabito silently nodded in response.
“Continuing the meeting – demon sightings have risen over the last couple weeks, especially around the border sharing Shinazugawa and Tomioka’s region-“ but Oyataka-sama’s words filtered out of Sabito’s head. His heart ached at the thought of how Giyuu felt when he heard his words. A sense of guilt and uneasiness rose within him, thinking about how he’ll apologise to Giyuu the next time he sees him.
-
It had been awhile since the battle begun and Giyuu, to his surprise, was still standing. Fatigue plagued his bones as he dodged Upper Moon two’s relentless attacks, and he could tell he couldn’t last long at this pace.
The demon had landed a blow to his leg before, and it was proving to make his form a hundred times difficult.
Water Breathing, Sixth form: Whirlpo-
Before Giyuu could fully grasp what was happening, an intense, blinding pain struck him, throwing him to the ground in the clearing. His body crumpled as he gasped for breath, choking on the blood filling his lungs and struggling with each sharp stab of agony.
Lying there, he could barely move without the searing pain radiating from his waist. Each breath was a battle, the earlier wound seemingly carving its pain deeper into him.
He heard slow, deliberate footsteps approaching until they stopped right beside him.
With great effort, Giyuu looked up at Douma, his face contorted with hatred and disgust as the demon crouched down beside him.
Douma's arm rested casually on his knee, his hand cupped against his face with a mocking expression. “How unfortunate,” Douma's voice dripped with sickly sympathy, a smile on his lips as if he wasn't responsible for Giyuu's suffering.
“If you had been more obedient, I wouldn’t have had to resort to this.” The demon’s gaze was mocking, clearly enjoying Giyuu’s defenceless state.
Giyuu fumbled for his blade, summoning the strength for one final strike or some action before—
Before he could react, Douma enveloped him in a cold, painful embrace. Much different from the warm ones Sabito gave him.
“How sad! Truly, truly sad!” Douma’s voice was laced with false pity as tears streamed down his cheeks.
“Your passionate efforts will not be in vain. I will consume you so that I can be by your side forever, and you will continue to live through me—” Giyuu tried to push Douma away, but his efforts were futile. Blood choked from his throat as his sense of touch diminished and his consciousness waned.
The thought of spending his last moments listening to Douma's revolting ramblings was unbearable. His face twisted with rage and frustration, his calm demeanour shattered.
Foreboding thoughts lingered in his mind as the reality of his end came close. He felt utterly useless against an Upper Moon, unable to avenge Rengoku and plagued by guilt for leaving Sabito behind like this.
-
Sabito ran, faster than he thinks he ever has in his life.
It started when a crow he recognised to be Giyuu’s hastily landed on the outdoor patio. It set off alarms in his head because Giyuu was only here an hour or so ago, why did his crow return here? “UPPER MOON TWO!” Kanzoburo sqwauked and Sabito felt his heart drop.
“TOMIOKA GIYUU IS ENGAGING IN BATTLE WITH UPPER MOON TWO! REINFORCEMENTS NEEDED!” he squawked again, struggling to regain his lost breathe of what was surely an tenacious journey.
The other Pillars stiffened, previous conversation had died out as Kanzoburo’s words echoed throughout the room.
Sabito, without sparing a glance at the others, took off in the direction of where the crow came from. The other Pillars yelling were after him, but he didn’t care, Giyuu was in danger.
When Sabito eventually arrived at the scene, nothing could compare to the numbness of his legs as tragic horror filled his every being. The clearing lining the border of Giyuu’s region was silent, but it showed signs a brutal battle took place. His eyes quickly darted across the area, seeing, finding, searching, for-
“GIYUU!”
Sabito shouted, spotting the young demon slayer at the far end of the clearing. However, he wasn’t alone. Giyuu seemed to be cradled in the arms of a demon with the appearance of a man in his twenties. Lifeless. Still.
Ice Breathing, Third form: Snowfall Cresent.
Sabito had no time to think as he darted across the clearing, his nichirin blade zeroed on the perpetrator.
His blade sliced through the demon vertically, creating a cascade of snowflake-like sparks which sparkled in the moonlight.
The attack successfully separated Giyuu and the demon, though it narrowly missed the head. There was no time to dwell on the near miss as Sabito caught Giyuu's body before it could hit the ground.
Maintaining a guarded stance, he quickly glanced down at Giyuu in his arms, assessing the injuries.
Blood trickled from Giyuu’s forehead, evoking terrible memories of the Final Selection that day. The sight of the wound on his side was particularly distressing. Crimson seeped through the torn fabric of his uniform, staining it a deep red against his pale skin. The injury was a jagged, gaping gash with ragged edges where the skin had been violently torn apart.
“Hey—Giyuu! It’s going to be okay. I’m here now, I’m—”
Amidst the colours, he was relieved to see Giyuu’s familiar dark blue eyes staring up at him, their glimmering light a rare occurrence from his usual stoic expression. Giyuu’s eyes widened in surprise at seeing Sabito, like he never expected him to be there, and the thought alone made Sabito’s grip on his blade tighten.
“Excuse me! You interrupted us just now; do you mind giving him back to me?” The demon spoke, reconnecting the torso Sabito severed like it was nothing. “We have some unfinished business you see,” He heard a far-too amused voice from the demon.
Sabito felt a vein on his neck pop as he turned to meet the demon with an icy glare.
-
Giyuu had always told Sabito he was strong.
It was evident when he completed the Final Selection that day, single-handedly eliminating every demon on Fujikasane Mountain without a single death. The feat became infamous within the Demon Slayer Corps.
“You’re very strong, Sabito.” They said. “You’ll reach great heights.”
And he did, developing his own breathing style derived from water breathing and becoming the very first Ice Pillar.
The truth is, Sabito wouldn’t have become as strong as he is now without Giyuu.
The foggy mountain air was thick with tension as Sabito faced the towering Hand Demon. Its grotesque form loomed over him, green, twisted limbs stretching menacingly. The demon’s eyes glowed with a sickly malice, “Another fox has come to me!” It giggled, gnarled hands reaching out to crush Sabito in a single, devastating blow.
In a heartbeat, the demon’s massive hand was descending upon Sabito, its intent clear. Time seemed to slow as Sabito’s eyes locked onto the approaching danger. He felt a surge of memories—moments of training, family, and his time with Urokodaki and Giyuu—flashing before him.
Just as the demon’s hand was about to squash him like a fragile fruit, a flicker of movement caught his eye.
Despite being blinded in one eye and barely able to see, Giyuu appeared like a flash of hope. With a fierce determination, he lunged through the chaotic scene, a trail following his blade with the ready power of his water breathing.
“Sabito, get down!” Giyuu shouted, his voice cutting through the tumult. His blade arced through the air, slicing cleanly through the demon’s hand before it could reach Sabito. The attack was precise, the flowing edge of his technique leaving a trail of water in its wake.
The Hand Demon roared in pain, its severed hand retreating as it reeled from the sudden assault, spitting curses.
Sabito could do nothing but watch as he was on the ground, a shattered stump of a sword clutched uselessly in his hand, as Giyuu faced the demon with determination he’s never seen on him before.
It was awe-inspiring. Giyuu was mesmerising that day, the fluid motions of his blade mimicking the surge of a river, the force behind each swing fuelled by desperate power.
It was that day Sabito truly recognised Giyuu’s strength.
The flurry of attacks parried by a boy he once thought to be meek and timid, with grace akin to the moving waters of a stream, instantaneously countering each attack before leaping and beheading the hand demon with a powerful slash.
He will always remember the moment when Giyuu approached him, extending a hand to lift him from the ground, while the demon that had threatened his life moments before disintegrated into nothing but ashes behind him.
When Sabito had asked about where he conjured the strength afterwards, Giyuu’s response was something he hadn’t expected.
“I’m not sure myself, but…” A bandaged Giyuu met Sabito’s gaze, his blue eyes burning with determination.
“If I hadn’t fought to stay conscious in that moment, I had a feeling I would have regretted it for the rest of my life.”
He had Giyuu to thank for his current strength, the urge- the drive to keep Giyuu safe was embedded in his callouses. To protect Giyuu He swore. Without him, as much as he doesn’t want to admit it, Sabito would’ve never become as strong as he is today.
He was stronger than others, yes, but he was reckless with it. The same recklessness Giyuu often called him out for when they were on missions together, worrying that it would get him killed one day. The same recklessness that got him at odds with the Hand Demon.
So, when they trained together between missions – Giyuu helped train to outlet his recklessness into his own Breathing Style.
Whilst Giyuu moved like a flowing river, Sabito was more erratic, opting for more sharp strikes compared to the fluid strokes water breathing was known for.
Ice breathing, he called it.
-
“Sabito.” Giyuu he breathed into Sabito’s ear, causing him to snap back into reality.
“The poison,” Giyuu managed to breath out, “He absorbed it.” Sabito exhaled a sigh of relief, relieved to see Giyuu was still verbal.
Suddenly, a resounding lull ringed throughout his head as realised something about the battle against Upper Moon two.
They might have a chance.
Kocho Shinobu, the younger sister of the Flower Pillar, was a brilliant scientist. She frequently experimented with various poisons while waiting for her sister's return from missions.
During Giyuu's stay at the Butterfly Estate to recover from a previous mission, Shinobu gave him a vial. To his confusion, she insisted that if he ever encountered the Upper Moon who injured her sister, he must ensure the demon absorbed the toxin, no matter what.
As a precaution or for revenge, he doesn’t know.
Although Kanae survived thanks to Sabito's intervention in the fight, It was widely known Shinobu still harboured hatred for the demon who almost took away her sister and fled at sunrise. Giyuu didn’t even want to imagine how potent the toxin was if she was confident it could take effect against an Upper Moon.
If the poison was consumed like Giyuu said, chances are it could weaken him enough to give Sabito an opening to defeat it.
Sabito set Giyuu’s fatigued frame against a tree, despite the other’s protests, and turned back to confront the demon.
As the storm subsided, the irony of the situation struck him like a chilling wind. Upper moon two, the demon who wielded ice with deadly precision, was now facing a swordsman whose own Breathing Style was rooted in the same element. It was a cruel twist of fate, a battle of ice against ice.
“How sweet of you to protect your dear friend, you humans never fail to entertain me with your actions,” Douma's lips curved into a seemingly sweet smile, but the glint in his eyes betrayed its mocking nature. It was a smile as deceitful as honey laced with poison, leaving a sense of unease in its wake.
He wasn’t taking him seriously, Sabito realised.
Sabito waited until the demon closed the distance between them, blade ready with intent to avenge Giyuu.
Ice breathing, First form: Frostbite fang.
Sabito successfully landed a violent thrust against the demon’s heart, which he redirected in fury of strength to sever it’s body whilst his blade was still caught inside of the demon’s intestines.
The demon managed to contort so that it would miss it’s head, eventually parrying a blow Sabito aimed at superhuman speed.
“How not nice of you,” Douma spat. “The other was much more entertaining to play with, and so much cuter too!”
Suddenly, a massive ice storm that threatened to engulf the entire clearing was conjured out of the pair of fans the demon was holding. The temperature plummeted, and icy winds whipped around violently. Sabito fought against the freezing tempest, his movements growing sluggish as the cold bit into his skin.
But he was used to this. Wielding the breathing style of Ice, how could he not?
Ice was in his element, his forte. He was in tune with it by the time he spared the Kamado siblings on the snowy mountain.
Douma's fans swept through the air, sending a barrage of ice shards toward Sabito.
Ice Breathing, Second form: Glacier Shield,
Sabito’s Ice Breathing technique created a protective barrier of frost, deflecting the shards with precision. The cold was a familiar ally, and Sabito wielded it with skill. It gave an illusion of the glistening sheen of ice, crystalline and shining.
Douma, mocking Sabito, sneered, “Is that the best you can do?”
Sabito’s strikes were relentless, his movements sharp and precise. Douma parried his blows, his expression showed subtle concentration as he evaded his attacks.
However Douma, not realising himself, failed to block one of Sabito’s strikes and managed to slip through his defences, piercing his neck.
Douma, eyes which were once filled with enjoyment, were plastered with confusion. Contemplating as if he didn’t know why his reaction speed was now so slow.
In admis of the exchange of attacks, sticky oozing gradients of violet began littering the demons face. Douma reeled back, uselessly clutching parts of his face that were seeping through his fingers like sand.
His confidence began to waver as he realized the true threat of his opponent, spots of violet penetrated his skin like acid. He swore he could hear the voice of a young woman giggling somewhere in his mind.
With a persistent Hashira on his tail, Douma debated on retreating into the trees to recuperate his dissolving self – but a high reminder was left in his mind by Muzan the last time he avoided a Hashira.
He had no choice but to stay and end this battle, and to do so quickly, he shot a sharpened hand through the barrage of ice he created, fuelled by the most desperate desire to live.
Sabito couldn’t see the move until it was moments away from touching his skin – he could feel the frigid air caress his face, the water particles in the air condensing into ice, even the water from his eyelashes froze into clumps.
I’m going to die. Sabito realised.
Before Sabito could register his next move, he was dragged back by a sudden, intense burst of blue.
In a blink of an eye, he was violently pushed back onto the ground.
Red was all that filled his vision.
Giyuu, barely able to stand but driven by sheer will, stood with his blade stuck into the demon – even when there was a hand sticking out of him.
His face was etched with pain, but his determination was unwavering. Giyuu’s Water Breathing techniques had cut through the icy storm Douma had created.
“Sabito!” Giyuu shouted as a waterfall of blood dribbled down his chin, his voice strained but resolute. “NOW!”
Douma’s focus shifted momentarily to Giyuu, faltering as he processed what had just occurred.
It was the distraction he needed, but Sabito’s eyes were widened with horror, the frame of Giyuu silhouetted in his eyes. The desperate raw shout from Giyuu reminded him of their objective, and he harshly gripped the hilt of his sword.
He launched into his strongest technique, Ice Breathing, Ninth Form: Glacial Tempest. A whirlwind of frost and ice enveloped his blade, clashing with Douma’s storm.
Sabito’s blade gleamed with a cold, determined light as he pressed forward through the swirling tempest.
When he caught a glimpse of Douma’s face, his mocking eyes were now filled with a different feeling.
Fear.
In a final, desperate move, Sabito’s blade cut through Douma’s defences. With a swift, decisive stroke,
he severed the demon’s head from his body.
…
The head fell to the ground, leaving an ugly splatter in resonance.
The only sound was their heavy breathing as they stood, watching in silence.
Upper Moon Two’s body crumbled to ash, the demon’s rainbow eyes widening in disbelief before the cacophony of colours were also swept away by the wind.
It wasn’t until the storm of ice from the demon’s blood demon art subsided, that Giyuu’s body collapsed to the ground.
Numbness etched through his aching body, but it didn’t stop Sabito from frantically ushering toward the Water Hashira.
His knees dipped into the pool of red which was quickly growing in size. Spitting curses, his hands hovered over Giyuu’s frame, unsure on what to do. He was never trained in medical care for fatal injuries like these.
In the dim light of the moon, the air still, Sabito could do nothing but cradle Giyuu’s helpless form in his arms as he watched his friend struggle. The fact Giyuu had even got up to join the fight at all was a miracle, and Sabito knew it took a great toll on him.
Giyuu’s breath came in shallow, uneven gasps, a piercing sound among the stillness around them.
The wound at his waist was a grotesque sight, a dark stain spreading slowly across the demon slayer corps uniform, the blood bleeding through the fabric. Sabito was helpless, eyes darting across Giyuu’s wound, searching for a way to remedy the pain.
Deep down, Sabito knew it was useless.
“Please,” Sabito whispered, voice choked with emotion, brushing a lock of dark hair from Giyuu’s brow. Tears started to spill over his eyes, a never-ending waterfall trickling down his cheeks and soaked onto the fabric below. “It should have been me, I should have been there with you from the start– I should have–“
A cold, too cold-, hand cupped his cheek, stopping the words spewing from his mouth by a gentle sensation, absently wiping his tears away.
Giyuu dimly smiled up at him, tears also streaming down his face, a gentle hand reached out to comfort him. It looked like it caused him a great deal of pain to do so, but the unsaid affection in his blue eyes suggested comforting Sabito was more important than himself succumbing to the pain.
Sabito could do nothing but lean into the touch, the chill feeling comforting to his flushed, weeping face.
He raised his hand to gently clasp Giyuu's, holding it in place against his cheek, doing his best not to break down then and there.
It was stupid, stupid because he looked so at calm with his predicament- like he accepted what was to come, when Sabito refused to.
“It’s-“ Giyuu tried to speak, but only a whisper emerged. "It’s alright, Sabito.” His gaze, locked onto the face of the boy who he spent the happiest moments of his life with, boring deeply into his teary lavender eyes.
The blue of Giyuu’s eyes flecked with tears, reflecting the sorrow and love of a lifetime they shared together.
In those final moments, his eyes seemed to hold the weight of every unsaid word, every unfulfilled promise.
“I'll become a Hashira so that I can prove I’m strong enough to protect you.”
As he saw his eyes, a striking blue, it seemed to hold the very essence of the ocean within them. They flickered with a mixture of pain and the remnants of life, each flutter of his lashes a silent plea.
Sabito refused to look, turning away and shutting his eyes tightly until they hurt, tears and the familiar ache of helplessness washing over him.
He had seen that pained expression on the faces of countless strangers during his missions, a look that spoke of despair and resignation. But seeing it now on Giyuu’s face - his closest partner - made something inside him shatter. It was his breaking point—the moment when the essence of every failure, every life he couldn’t save, crushed him completely.
“Why? You can never sit still can you? Just like the Final Selection.” his voice wobbly, “I'm sorry - that you had to protect me all the time.”
“About what I said before—” Sabito’s voice faltered as he remembered what happened at the meeting. He swallowed the lump in his throat, “You misunderstood.”
He took a shaky breath. “I… I wished you’d never joined the Corps because I wanted you to survive.” He heard what was left of Giyuu's breathing hitch.
“I wanted you to abandon Demon Slaying and live a happy life. I wanted you to grow old and grey, surrounded by a family of your own—clones of you running around and a loving wife by your side.” Sabito’s voice broke as he gasped for air.
A low, pained chuckle Sabito almost didn’t catch was heard.
When Sabito finally opened his eyes, Giyuu’s facial expression had morphed into something he didn’t expect to see.
Giyuu wore a pained smile, with relief reflected in his eyes. “A wife? Clones? That’s stupid,” he barely managed to say, amusement hinted in his tone. Sabito found tears blurring his vision.
“Sorry,” Sabito whispered, pulling Giyuu closer. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Live,” Giyuu replied. Sabito’s grip tightened as the irony hit him—Giyuu had also wanted him to live all along, just as Sabito had wanted the same for him.
“Sabito-“ a ragged cough shook Giyuu's entire frame, Sabito still held him regardless, patient.
“All this time,”
He felt the gentle hand that had been cupping his face weaken, but Sabito clung to it, blurred by a desperate desire to savour Giyuu for as long as he could.
The smallest whisper could be heard, words which broke the restraints of regret Sabito did his best to hold back all this time.
“I’ve only ever wanted to be with you.”
Blue, so blue.
Those ocean blue eyes, once filled with mischief and light, now clouded with the haze of encroaching darkness, were the only vivid colour Sabito could see until they fluttered closed.
A broken sob ripped from his throat as he clung to Giyuu’s still body, pressing his head into the crook of his neck, screaming out apologies that were said far too late.
-
When Sanemi and the Kakushi arrived on the scene, a disconcerted aftermath of a battle was what they were greeted by. A lavish fan, laid in the middle of the clearing was the only sign the demon had been vanquished. A celebratory feat.
Not far from it were two figures clutched together, bloody and unmoving.
Sanemi felt the victorious pride within him drop, and sharply ordered the Kakushi to aid the two eerily still Hashiras.
It took great effort to separate them as one was clinging onto the other like a lifeline, but when they did, the Kakushi split into two groups to tend to each of them.
“This one has a pulse,” One of them had spoken, relief evident in his words. It was a miracle, upon inspecting Sabito’s injuries, extensive and broken. “He’s passed out, 3 fractured ribs, major frostbite to his body with multiple open wounds.”
“And the other?” Sanemi frantically whirled.
The Kakushi surrounding the Water Hashira wore expressions of deep sorrow, the silence to Sanemi’s question conveying everything that needed to be said. One Kakushi, trembling, buried her face in her hands,
…
“He’s gone.”